Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-10


Is she New Yorker?" / asked.
do not know, sir. She is not o
paid nurse I; she gives her services for
the sake OF the experience"
"Will you let me have her town I'D
dress, pleaseg"
Certainly, DIR. Martin; with plea
sure" answered the matron, turning
and bending over her desk to hide her
look OF amusement.
] took the address, thanked her. and
went and made sure that Miss Van Ne
ter was on duty /; then went out TO ex-
plore her address. had q notion that
should find her home to be more in
accord with her person than with her
assumed station in life. She was ques-
tionless lady OF wealth, and could al
ford not only TO have, but TO indulge,
her within. / hailed hack, gave the
address, and, full Of curious fancies
that gradually shaped themselves into
q coherent day-dream, / lost conscious
ness of the outside world. When the
hack stopped / jumped ont and looked
around me. There was nothing aristo-
cratic TO be seen. Ii wasa short street,
open only at one end, and made
up Of cheap houses, small, and preten-
tiously painted. 1t struck me as re-
gion inhabited by thrifty mechanics. j
was half inclined 70 re-enter the hack
and drive back, but think / lacked
the moral courage. was standing
right opposite the door OF the house L
was seeking. The house was like all
the rest-new, small, cheap. and pre-
tentious. i rang the bell in despera-
ton. A woman wearing purple velvet
dress and kitchen apron answered the
door. Now, submit that a purple vel
vet dress is hardly in keeping with the
best room of such house, and in the
evening but in the morning, when all
the homework is being done, and under
an apron-well, i fear my manner was
a trife brusque.
"Does Miss Van Meter live here ,"
Eyes, sir; she does"
"Can ] see ber?"
mo she amt in. She's at the hos
pital."
sob, you are not her mother, I
think ?"
ooh, no, sir, that amt. She only
boards and lodges here. / guess she
amt gotten father or mother"
"Indeed Ibid notknow that. Has
she been with you long ?"
"Nigh on three months. She comes
from Massachusetts way, from all I
learn. But she ant very laxative,
sir"
asked one or two more questions,
withheld my name, which / was invited
to leave, and wished the royally-arrayed
daughter Of the people good morning.
/ did not return to the hospital that
day and as sat smoking in my den
at night / affected the part OF the
sadder but the wiser man. / congratu-
lated myself on the neat way in which
/ had ut the start pricked my little
painted bladder of romance. rated
myself soundly for my idiotic suscepsi-
bility l took a vow of callousness in
the future / called upon my stars to
write me down an ass il ever | looked
at girl again until L had made
sure she was an heiress at least. Thus
did j put en- a giants armor, forgetting
that my natural stature was not heroic
For two days was brave-that is to
say, kept out of the fight; avoided
the hospital altogether. On the third
day l wanted to see the senior house
surgeon On an important matter. !
went into his Office, and there l found
Miss Van Meter. She was looking out
of the window, and as / entered she
TUNED and bowed. 1 went up to her
and shook hands.
81 want to see DR.. Hoare is he
within?" I asked, looking toward q
door that led into large consultation
room.
"Yes; he hes been engaged for some
time now. don't think he will be
long. / am waiting to see him also,
but | am net in great hurry. You
may see him first il you wish, sir.
she said, and her voice sounded like
music. remembered that saying of
Master Truewit 81 love measure in
the feet, and numbers in the voice
they are gentlenesses that oftentimes
draw no less than the face"
"Thank you very much, but You
know the Doctor is great stickler for
lie rule, first come first served. He
would never forgive me if he knew that
1 had broken it, especially TO nurse.
He looks upon a nurse, you know, as
half angel and half pet. !"
"Yes, he is eccentric in some things,
but entirely good, l am sure. Is he not
also verycleyer in bis profession ?"
"Clever, Miss Van Meter, is no word
for it. l think sometimes that he is
inspired. He has performed operations
that have never been attempted by any
one else. And what is better he has
succeeded in them. He deserves to be
immortal, and if he had only had
President to work upon instead OF an
Irish navy, he would have been" L
was young then, and enthusiastic, but
age and experience and technical
knowledge have done little to modify
my estimation of that wonderful man.
"Ha what a grand thing it is to be
n man, when one is cleverl" exclaimed
Miss Van Meter, enthusiastically.
"CleverDess is very common COM
modify in these days. The desirable
thing is genius. But i hope you are
never tempted to wish you were a
man?"
"Oh dear, no; think we women
are much better off than you men. And
We owe our position to the men. l for
enc, am not ungrateful," she said.
smiling swestly.
You are evidently happy in your
work. Many ladies are not, fear"
"Yes, ] think am happy"
"Hut you are not sure, eh ?"
Il am not sure-what mortal is 2"
OF can ask questions better than |
can answer them. Yet / think l may
Say foronce that am perfectly happy"
Really? How long has it lasted,
Doctor 2" she asked in a light hooking
tone, and with q fash of her dark eyes
and little toss of the head that made
her look more attractive than ever.
"Oh, il has lasted quite-seven or
eight minutes. answered gravely, and
my eyes met hers as she gave me one of
her quick, searching chances.
II knew you were testing, Doctor,
she said, moving toward the door, /
thought, il order TO hide the mutinous
color in her cheeks.
"Are you going ] was not jesting
at least il i WIS ii was with truth.
an